


I've Got This

by Chrystie, kate882



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Identity Porn, M/M, kind of, wally is getting his phd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:27:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27068611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrystie/pseuds/Chrystie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate882/pseuds/kate882
Summary: Nightwing and Flash are on friendly terms, but not so friendly that they know each other's secret identities. So it's a little complicated when Wally West and Nightwing become involved.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Wally West
Comments: 7
Kudos: 269





	I've Got This

**Author's Note:**

> this fic brought to you from the depths of our WIP folder as I'm finding out there were a few finished ones in there- Kate

Wally missed being able to get drunk. That had to be the worst part of being a speedster. Being the only sober one with the rest of the TA’s wasn’t as fun as they made being drunk look. 

He finally left around two to get back to his apartment near the campus, much later than he tended to go out. He was going to be exhausted for his eight am the next morning. At least he wouldn’t be hung over. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered when he felt someone press a gun up against his head. 

“Give me all your money,” the man behind him demanded. 

“Dude, I’m a TA, I don’t know what kind of money you think I’m making,” Wally answered, already considering how to handle it without being too obvious with the superspeed. 

It turned out he didn’t have to do that though, because he spotted Nightwing swinging onto the scene, so Wally simply stepped out of the way and let Nightwing crash right into the guy. 

“I don’t know what kind of money you’re looking for doing this around a college campus,” Nightwing said, grabbing the man’s gun out of his hand before he could recover from being tackled to the ground.

“Oh hey, I said pretty much the same thing,” Wally told him as the would be robber struggled to escape Nightwing’s hold. 

“Maybe student debt is the real criminal here,” Nightwing laughed as he ziptied the man’s wrists together.

“I mean we all knew that already,” Wally grinned. “Can I hazard a guess that that’s why you were trying to rob me?” He added to the guy on the ground. 

“Fuck off,” the guy muttered, glaring up at him as Wally picked up the gun to examine it. 

“Not loaded,” he mumbled and then glanced at Nightwing. “I’m not gonna press charges on some broke kid with an unloaded weapon,” he said, kneeling down so he could make better eye contact with the robber. “But let this be a lesson, yeah? I know it’s shitty, but jail’s shittier. Especially in this city. And you’ll get charged for armed robbery even if your weapon isn’t loaded.” 

“Maybe I’m not the only hero here,” Nightwing grinned, pulling out one of his bird shaped knives to cut the robber free.

“Not heroic, just don’t want to see someone punished more than they need to be.” Wally stood up and held the gun out of reach. “I don’t think you need this back.” 

The guy looked like he was considering trying to grab it anyway, but looked between them and seemed to decide it wasn’t worth it, taking off in the opposite direction instead like he thought Wally might change his mind and turn him in. 

“You can have this; I don’t really have much use for it,” Wally grinned at Nightwing as he held out the weapon. 

“I’d hope not. My good opinion of you would’ve dropped drastically if you did want to keep it.” Nightwing took the gun from him and tucked it into one of the pockets on his belt.

“Good opinion from a superhero, huh? Should I be honored?” He’d worked with Nightwing a few times, but for the most part the Flash operated during the day, after Wally’s classes, and Nightwing operated at well… night. He liked him well enough though from the interactions they’d had. Seemed nice, at least. 

“I wouldn’t go that far, I’m just a guy in some spandex, afterall, but I like you, you’re pretty cool.”

“Not so bad yourself.” Wally held out his hand. “Wally West. Good to meet you. Although being robbed probably isn’t the best circumstance to meet someone under.” 

“No, it definitely isn’t,” Nightwing said, taking his hand, “But when this is what you do for half your day, it’s probably the only way to meet people.”

“What no day job?” Wally raised his eyebrows. 

“Now if I told you about that it would be telling you a little too much about myself, wouldn’t it?”

“Ah, but there is one to tell about then,” Wally laughed. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t pushing for information, I just meant you could probably also meet people during that. I imagine you mostly meet criminals with this one.” 

“You’d be right, and they aren’t usually as cute as you.”

Wally felt his face heat up a bit. “So the rumors Nightwing’s a flirt are true.”

“I might be a flirt, but all my compliments are true.”

“Well I’m certainly not going to turn down a compliment from the city’s hottest hero.” After all, Wally was a bit of a flirt as well. 

“Well now I’m the one blushing,” it didn’t really look like he was, but he did also have a mask on, “can’t forget about Flash though, he’s pretty cute.”

“Eh, not my type,” Wally shrugged, laughing a little. 

“So I’m your type,” Nightwing took a step just the slightest bit closer, “Well Wally, I hope I see you around,” and he shot a grapple to swing away.

* * *

Wally wasn’t exactly  _ looking  _ for Nightwing. But he also was out again past his standard bed time to go buy ice cream that he most definitely could have gotten earlier in the day. Especially since most of the convenience stores in the area were quite used to the Flash’s presence coming in to load up on snacks. It was more cost efficient. Lots of them gave him discounts since he’d saved their store at some point. 

But now he was out as just Wally and he was beginning to think he wasn’t actually going to be able to casually bump into the hero because he was getting close to his apartment again when he spotted a figure swinging through the air and gave an appreciative whistle to get his attention, figuring after all the flirting last time it wasn’t inappropriate. 

Nightwing landed on the rooftop of the closest building to him and poked his head over. “Fancy meeting you here, cutie.” 

“Stocking up on snacks,” Wally replied, holding up the shopping bag. “And I’m willing to share if you’ve got time to take a break from heroing,” he added with a grin. 

“I think I could use a break.” Nightwing threw himself off the building and broke his fall by catching onto balconies and railings on his way down.

“Impressive,” Wally said when Nightwing landed, pulling out the ice cream. “Only one spoon, but I don’t really get sick, so I’m cool with it if you are,” he added, popping off the lid and taking off the attached plastic spoon. 

“Sounds fine to me.”

Wally took a spoonful for himself and then passed it over to Nightwing. “It’s cookie dough flavor.” 

Nightwing accepted it with a grateful nod and leaned against the wall. “So tell me, is the icecream the only reason you’re out this late?”

“I think icecream is a perfectly valid reason to be out late at night only days after an attempted mugging also late at night,” Wally answered in as serious a tone as he could manage, but cracked at the end, letting out a laugh as he leaned against the wall next to Nightwing. “I might also have a class full of undergrads waiting for me to grade their papers and I’d really rather be hanging out with a hot superhero, because those papers are not good. And those students are going to be very mad at me about that.” 

“They need someone to be mad at, and clearly it can’t be at themselves,” Nightwing laughed. “What do you teach?”

“Oh I’m just the TA. Still working on my PhD. But I help out with physics and chemistry classes,” he said, stealing the spoon back to get another bite. 

“And none of them have tried to hit on you?”

“Well I didn’t say that,” Wally laughed. “Just that they’d be mad at me when they saw their grades.”

“I’m sure they won’t stay mad for long, not with that face grading their stuff.”

“It’s twenty percent of their grade. You might be underestimating them,” he said, passing the spoon back. “Besides, I don’t sleep with students. Seems morally off. Superheroes are totally morally okay though I’m pretty sure,” he said after Nightwing had taken another scoop of the ice cream. 

“Morally okay for you, maybe. I might need a little more time to think about that.”

“That’s fine,” Wally shrugged. “Just putting it out there that I’m good with all the flirting.” 

“I’d hope so or this all just got really awkward,” Nightwing laughed, stealing the spoon back from him.

“No worries here,” Wally winked at him. “I’m very much enjoying our time together. And not just because there’s ice cream.” 

“I am too, but a break is only a break. Crime doesn’t stop.” Nightwing handed him back the spoon, “thanks for the time though,” and just to surprise Wally a little more, Nightwing pecked him on the cheek.

Wally felt his face heating again, but still grinned and called out a goodbye.

* * *

“Yo, Nightwing, you’re up early,” Wally called, speeding over, reminding himself he was in his Flash outfit this time which meant he couldn’t greet Nightwing with a flirty compliment about how good he looked in the light of day. Well, he could, but it’d be a little weird. 

“Figured I’d get an early start today. Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“That’s because you’re always out past normal bed time hours,” Wally reminded him. “So who’s committing bad enough crime to have you out early? And do you want some help?” 

“No major crimes, just figured it didn’t hurt to be out a little earlier, besides always nice to actually get the chance to work with you.”

“Yeah, I’m sure your job goes a lot  _ faster  _ when you’re working with me,” Wally grinned at him. 

“That was terrible and you know it,” Nightwing was still laughing though.

“I know; it worked though,” Wally replied. 

“I guess it did, but it really shouldn’t have.”

Wally gave his most winning smile. “So, you sure there’s nothing specific I can help you with this fine afternoon at four pm near the university campus? Nowhere near your usual patrol time of midnight or later?”

“Why do I feel like you already know why I’m out and about.”

“There might be some rumors that Nightwing is with a civilian in the area. And I never see you outside of crime fighting. So I’m just wondering if you clocking in early to the hero gig has any connection to these rumors.” Wally hadn’t been thrilled to hear said rumors as said civilian that Nightwing was flirting with. That really wasn’t the kind of attention he needed on his civilian life, so he’d have to be more observant next time he tried to meet up with Nightwing about who was around. 

Nightwing did look a little sheepish about these rumours though. “I guess I’ll have to be more careful about that. I don’t know, I’m trying not to get attached because, y’know it’s dangerous, but he’s making it pretty hard not to.”

Wally wasn’t sure the ethical lines in talking to Nightwing about himself in an advice way when Nightwing didn’t know it was him, but it seemed on the shadier side of morally gray. “If you tell me what he looks like I can do a quick look around and see if he’s out and about,” he offered instead, because that seemed much safer. 

“Nah it’s alright. Might as well do some actual patrolling while I’m out.”

“You sure? I can cover the whole campus in no time. And you came out early and everything.”

“Yeah, not really a chance encounter if I take out the chance, no matter how unlikely it is that I’d be out at this time in this area.”

“Who says it has to be chance? Sometimes it’s nice to know someone wants to see you.” Huh, he hadn’t meant to voice that outloud. He’d been aiming for a more professional proposal of finishing up his patrol together. This definitely crossed the advice about himself to Nightwing line he hadn’t wanted to cross. 

“So what I’m hearing is that it wouldn’t be that bad to get involved with a civilian?” Wally was pretty sure he wasn’t imagining the hope in his tone.

Well that was certainly a question Wally wasn’t sure he was qualified to answer. Because he wasn’t actually a civilian. Did that make encouraging this without Nightwing knowing who he was less wrong since he was just throwing out his opinion on dating civilians in general? “I think… well a lot of superheroes do it. The dating options are slim otherwise. It’s just something you have to be careful about. It’d be easier maybe to meet them in your civies, but there’s also not a lot of lying going in if you start as Nightwing, since you don’t have to hide why you’re constantly going out at night and getting hurt. They also have more of a choice on if they want to put themselves at risk dating a hero if they know you’re a hero from the start. I think as long as you make sure they know what they’re getting into it’s ultimately their choice if they want to risk it.” 

“I guess that makes sense,” Nightwing hummed, “A lot of it also comes down to if I want to tell him who I am. That’s something that requires a little more time with getting to know him too.”

“Which is why I’m offering to take a quick look around. Can’t get to know someone if you’re just relying on chance.” 

“I guess a quick check wouldn’t hurt,” Nightwing smiled at him gratefully.

“Alright, so what am I looking for?” It wouldn’t do for him to just already know what Wally West looked like after all. 

“Red hair, same shade as yours actually, pretty emerald green eyes, and cute freckles all over.”

Wally gave Nightwing a quick thumbs up and took off, making a dash around campus looking for somewhere unoccupied to meet with Nightwing, and then returning. “Try over there,” he said, pointing at the science building and grinning at Nightwing. Since most of the science classes were morning classes it should be less occupied. 

“You’re the best, buddy.” And with that, Nightwing dove off the building.

Wally sped off to his apartment, threw on some civilian clothes, and then sped back to the campus, stopping behind the building so the students wouldn’t see him appearing out of nowhere, and made a conscious effort not to look around for Nightwing after a few seconds had passed, instead pulling out his phone and making like he was going to walk around the building. 

“Working hard?” Nightwing’s voice came from above him.

Wally looked up and flashed a bright smile. “Heading home actually. Looking to study up on something?” 

“Thought it might be nice to see you.”

“Can’t say I mind. Want me to come up there?” 

“Or I could come down there, but I’m not exactly as invisible as I usually am when the sun’s up.”

“I’ll just come up. Less likely to be spotted since your invisibility powers aren’t working right now,” Wally winked at him before jogging inside and up the stairs until he reached the door to the roof and made quick work of the lock. 

“You did that pretty fast,” Nightwing gestured at the lock, “Some hidden talents and hobbies I should know about?”

“Good spot to come for some peace and quiet during finals time. Plus that lock is pretty busted and hasn’t been fixed once the entire time I’ve been here. And I did undergrad here too. Just takes wiggling it the right way,” he said with a laugh. 

“That means you’ve been here for...ever,” Nightwing laughed.

“It definitely feels like it. Just one more year though and I’ll be free.” Wally leaned against the door frame. “Did you really come out early just to see me though? Or should I be on the lookout for crime on campus?” 

Nightwing seemed to get a little sheepish at that. “Well if I’m being honest, I was hoping I’d be able to catch you.”

“You know, I’d be happy to give you my number. That way maybe we can actually plan these dates,” he offered with a hesitant smile, not sure if he was pushing for too much here. He technically already had Nightwing’s number, but those were their hero lines they’d exchanged for work as Nightwing and Flash. 

“I, well,” Nightwing bit his lip, he was clearly still debating if seeing a civilian was really a good idea. “You don’t mind the spandex?”

“I’m going to put aside the dirty jokes I could make with that comment because you look so nervous, but no, I don’t mind. I wouldn’t offer if I did.” 

“Then yeah, I’d like that.”

Wally smiled brightly at him and jotted down his number for Nightwing.

* * *

It wasn’t until after a few more meetings and a lot of texting that something went wrong. 

Wally would have made quick work of the men attempting to lead him into a van at gunpoint had he not noticed the camera one was holding and he wasn’t sure if it was live or simply recording. Which didn’t bode well for him, because it meant they intended to have something to film. Besides, they’d already seen his face now, giving away his powers if that wasn’t why this was happening would also be a bad call. 

So he let himself be blindfolded and pulled into the van where he was then tied to a chair. 

“What’s your passcode,” one of the men demanded after snatching his phone. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Wally taunted, and got a fist to the face for it as the van started moving. And he really couldn’t let them hurt him too bad on camera. His fast healing would definitely be noticeable. So he caved and gave them the passcode. 

“Let’s see if Nightwing will come for his boyfriend,” the same man sneered and Wally heard the phone ringing. 

“Hey Wall-man, what’s up?” Came Nightwing’s voice through the phone.

“Nightwing don’t-“ Wally was cut off by another punch and this time he tasted blood. 

“Sorry, your ‘friend’ isn’t available right now, Nightwing. I’d be happy to let you come pick him up though,” his captor said with false friendliness. 

Any and all kindness dropped from Nightwing’s voice. “What do you want?”

“You stole my weapon. I want it back. Unless of course you want us to just hold onto your little friend here.” The blow to his gut Wally knew was intended to make him cry out for Nightwing to hear, so he bit his lip and tried to keep as quiet as possible, but the next one he was pretty sure broke a rib or two and he couldn’t help the pained sound that came out even as he could feel them starting to mend. “I’m sure breaking him could be fun.” 

“Don’t. Nightwing, I’ve got this,” Wally said, only for the healing ribs to be hit again. “I’m fine,” he insisted, even though he knew what would come from it. 

“Stop,” There was a pained sound in Nightwing’s voice like he was the one taking punches instead of Wally, “where do you want it?”

“Nightwing-“ 

“The same wearhouse you stole it from. In thirty minutes. If you’re late I’ll be sure to send you the video of what happens to him.” And then he heard the call disconnect and he found himself being gagged. 

He had to figure out how to get out of this. He could phase through the ropes. Make it seem like they were just poorly tied if he could be sure where the camera was. 

The van came to a stop before he could figure it all the way out and he was roughly moved into what he assumed to be the meeting place wearhouse. 

Where he sat and listened, waiting for some kind of sign of an opening. 

He got it when he heard the camera being set down near him, the man who’d been holding it having been ordered to scout the area for signs of Nightwing. 

He got himself out of the ropes and removed the blindfold. They weren’t looking at him, busy talking about their plan to kill him in front of Nightwing after they got the weapon. 

He quietly grabbed the camera and after seeing it appeared to only be recording he turned it off and quickly disposed of his captors. Knocking them out before they even realized he was out of the chair should keep him safe from them realizing how they’d ended up that way, probably assuming Nightwing had gotten the drop on them. He was just deleting the footage from the camera when the doors to the warehouse burst open and Wally’s head snapped up, ready to take on another lackey only to see Nightwing there. 

Nightwing was clearly just as ready for the same thing, his escrima sticks held up. “Uh- I’m here to save you?”

“I told you I’ve got this,” Wally hit delete and then pulled out the memory card just to be safe when he remembered all of those crime shows where deleted footage was still found. 

“But… how? It’s been a while, but I’m pretty sure I don’t remember my TA’s being capable of knocking out even one person, let alone a good number of armed guards.”

“I-um,” he tried to piece together something believable. “They were distracted and the ropes weren’t tied well.” He just hoped Nightwing wouldn’t notice the ropes weren’t actually untied yet since he’d phased through them and they’d seemed like a lesser detail compared to armed guards and a camera. 

“Distracted enough to not notice you take out even one of them?”

“I used to take karate?” He didn’t mean for it to be a question. It wasn’t even untrue, he’d had to learn how to fight for when speed wasn’t enough. It just didn’t begin to cover this. He’d been hoping Nightwing would take long enough to get here for him to come up with better excuses. 

“Are you sure?” Nightwing’s gaze was starting to dart towards the ropes and that couldn’t be good.

“Yes?” He really needed to get better at this. 

Nightwing walked over to the ropes and picked them up, but he looked like he’d already come to a conclusion before seeing that they were perfectly intact. “Wally, what’s going on?”

“The ropes were loose so I slipped out and took out the guards so you wouldn’t have to try and trade a weapon for me when they were just going to kill me anyway.” Well at least this time it sounded like a sentence. And it was almost all true. 

Nightwing moved to stand in front of him. “I’m not sure I believe that.”

“Alright then what do you think happened, Mr. Detective?” 

“I think you’re definitely hiding some… hidden talents from me, but I don’t want to assume.”

“Hidden talents such as?” He’d already made his hole, might as well dig deeper. 

“Such as training that has to be in the same range as mine or a hidden meta power I haven’t noticed.”

“Maybe a warehouse with criminals that could wake up any moment isn’t the place for this discussion,” he decided because that was getting too close to the truth for where they were.

“Alright just,” Nightwing pulled out a handful of zipties, “gimme a minute.”

* * *

Wally led Nightwing back to his place. It was the easiest place to think of since he’d been there once before. “So,” Nightwing started, “Should I ask again?”

“Well I definitely don’t have your training.”

“So a meta power I haven’t noticed?”

“I mean I haven’t been broadcasting it to you.” 

“Which leads me to think that you have a hero identity too.”

“Ah, we got there fast. Not even a whole minute on the idea that I was just a secret meta, huh?” 

“That’s not a denial.”

Wally’s shoulders slumped. “I’m not a great liar.” 

“I’ve noticed.”

“I did tell you that I had it and you didn’t need to come get me.” 

Nightwing crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow at him. “Most righteous hostages say that when they’re being used as collateral whether they really have it or not, I couldn’t risk it.”

“Yeah, I figured. I was just hoping you’d take a little longer to get there so I could make it look a little less like I’d phased out of the ropes and single handedly taken down multiple armed criminals.” 

Nightwing’s features softened just the slightest bit at that. “Well, I considered the hostage as very important collateral to me and I wasn’t willing to risk it.”

“This really wasn’t how I was planning to tell you about the whole Flash thing. In my head it was a little more romantic than a hostage situation.”

There was the the slightest smile from Nightwing and he didn’t look all that shocked at the reveal. “I mean, this wasn’t how I was planning to tell you who I am either, but fair is fair,” and he pulled off his mask.

And he looked maybe kinda familiar, but as reveals went Wally still wasn’t any closer to knowing who Nightwing was. “I think equivalent exchange would include a name since you know mine. Although I wouldn’t complain if this is just me getting to see your eyes for the first time. It’s kind of a crime that you’re covering those all the time.”

“You have no idea who I am?”

“Have we met before?” Wally wracked his brain, but he was pretty sure he’d remember a face like Nightwing’s. 

“Not like this, no.” Nightwing seemed more amused than anything that Wally just didn’t know who he was. “My name’s Dick Grayson.”

“You’re saying that in a tone that makes me think I’m still missing something here.”

“No, it’s nothing,” he chuckled, “I guess this means we can start dating in public now?”

“We should maybe give it a week or two if criminals are aware I’m seeing Nightwing. Might not be good for your secret ID if we’re seen together so soon.” 

“Probably, but at least for now we can stop keeping secrets.”

“Yeah, that is a benefit,” he said, pulling Dick closed and leaning in until their lips were almost touching. “Except for the one you’re keeping about why I should know who you are,” he said teasingly, pulling back to look at Dick’s face. 

“You’ll figure that out soon enough,” Dick laughed, wrapping his arms around his waist.

“Or you could tell me now,” Wally argued but let Dick pull him closer. 

“But where’s the fun without the surprise.”

Wally hummed and moved his hand into Dick’s tool belt before the suit could register the intrusion and shock him, emerging with Dick’s phone and typing in the passcode. “I think I’ll just google it.” 

“I guess you could do that too,” Dick laughed, burying his face into his neck.

Wally’s jaw dropped when he saw the first result. “You’re Bruce Wayne’s kid?” 

“Adopted, but yeah.”

“I can’t believe I’m dating a famous person with both of your alter egos,” Wally said as he opened the Wikipedia page. His boyfriend had a Wikipedia page. For his civilian identity. That was going to take some getting used to. 

“You’ll get used to it,” Dick kissed his neck.

“I suppose I can read your wiki page later,” Wally tossed the phone away and finally pulled Dick into a proper kiss.


End file.
